Cynicism about politicians and political institutions runs very deep, says Terry Waite. But the current crisis is also an opportunity for change, for reinvesting politics with hope and the participation of people from outside 'the party system'.

The whole country's thoughts and prayers are with the Cameron family after the death of six-year-old Ivan, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.

UK Conservative leader David Cameron pipped Labour PM Gordon Brown in the quest for a brush with 'Obama magic' by hailing the new US president-elect as the first of a fresh, pioneering generation of world leaders.

Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury's headquarters, has rejected claims made in a speech earlier this week by Conservative leader David Cameron, that Dr Rowan Williams was seeking the incorporation of Sharia law in the UK.

Migration issues are back in the headlines, with the two main parties vying over 'get tough' policies, and the government admitting that its recent labour force statistics have been wrong. But positive alternatives are also being mooted.

A church charity has attacked Tory Leader David Cameron and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, over their new commitments on inheritance tax. The challenge comes after a Cameron speech pledging to "make British poverty history".